Creative Industries and Innovation in Europe

Creative industries and creative people tend to concentrate spatially. The spatial patterns of distribution of creativity highlight the importance of the place for the economic creative process. In this chapter we analyze the geographical distribution of creative industries drawing upon a sector-based approach to the phenomenon of creativity. Despite the importance of space in the creative process, there is little research on the geography of the creative industries. Studies on how such activities are unevenly distributed geographically are still at an early stage. The methodology is also evolving and is heavily constrained by the best data available in various countries. In particular, there is a lack of inter-country comparative studies, making it difficult to assess the particularities of each model of creativity.